Death Contract (PUBLISHED)

A Dancing Glass Shoes Part 1

Chapter 7

A week ago, it had passed. I was in good condition, so I was discharged and allowed to return to Plamour City, where the Perelman mansion stood.

For almost a week, I had a hard time pretending to be Hailey. It is not that easy and will never be easy.

In the middle of the trip from Plamour Airport to Perelman Mansion, using Mr. Perelman's car, I decided to read first the children's book entitled "A Dancing Glass Shoes."

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who had a dream of being a ballerina. All day and night, she practiced dancing like there was no tomorrow. Other kids think that she's crazy to dream so high because, in the first place, the little girl can't dance well.

I flipped the book to read the next line.

One day, after the little girl went back to their house from school, the little girl noticed glass shoes in the garbage can near their neighbor's house. She picked it up and put it on, not realizing that the glass shoes were cursed.

I moved the book page again.

Whoever wears the glass shoes will have the ability to dance perfectly, but will make her dance all day long until the one who wears them takes the glass shoes off.

I was about to turn the page of the book I was reading when the car stopped running.

"Are you okay, Hailey?"Dr Charles Perelman suddenly asked me who was currently in the driver's seat of the car and where we were now. He stopped the car in front of an elegant Spanish Mediterranean mansion, then looked at me worriedly through the rare mirror. I deeply breathed some air to refresh my mood. I'm kind of nervous about what's happening right now. 

Now that I am pretending to be Hailey Perelman, the girl who always bullies me in school, the girl who messed up my campus life, the girl who was one of the reasons why Dad died,

"Don't worry doc, she's fine, she's just kind of nervous, right babe?" I immediately turned to the man next to me, who was still holding my hand. Since I got out of the hospital in Manila, he has not released it until now. I don't know if this Grim Reaper is just pretending to be Albus, so he doesn't want to let me go, or he just doesn't want to let go of my hand because there was a chance for me to run away.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at what he was doing. I tried to loosen the grip of his cold hand on me, but it would not move even a little. Whom am I fooling? He is a grim reaper, so he is stronger than me.

There I looked up at the grim reaper, pretending to be Albus. I stared at him, annoyed, but instead of being annoyed with me too, he just smiled at me.

A smile that made me frown. I couldn't stand to look at this Grim Reaper smiling, using Albus Wesley's face, who used to bully me.

It's creeping me out.

"Looks like my sister is irritated with you being clingy for today, my brother-in-law," said Hazel, Hailey's sister.

She seems thrilled to watch us from the passenger seat, while I and this Grim Reaper are in the backseat.

I gasped some air again.

If she only knew what was going on, she would not feel thrilled. Instead, she would freak out.

"Is that true, babe?" In the tone of Albus' voice, he seemed sulking. My lips quivered because of that.

Can I beat this evil spirit?

'I am warning you that I can hear your thoughts, human.'

Yeah!

I sighed as I heard that.

Within a week, I also discovered some things about the grim reaper I was with. First, he can hear what I think. Second, he can talk to me in his mind. Third, his behavior is awful.

"I'm sorry b-babe, I'm just... you know, too tired." That's all I was able to say. That is when he smiled at me genuinely.

"Is that so?" He even frowned at me, which almost gave horror to my whole being. "Then we should go inside immediately. Hurry baby, let's go! " My muscles almost trembled when I heard the word "baby" from him. However, I forced myself to smile for the sake of pretending to be Hailey.

Damn this Grim Reaper. He is terrifying me.

"Are you testing my temper?"

Even though it was just in my mind, I felt the cold it caused. That means I should stop now.

"Yeah!" That's all I said, then we went inside. A glamorous mansion greets me as I expected. Luxurious screams from the mansion's ceiling to the floor.

I just stopped in amazement at the whole household when Hazel grabbed my attention.

"Hey! What's with the look, Hailey? Your weird looks like this are the first time you entered our house, ahh. " She patted my shoulder and laughed like an elegant woman.

"Hazel, stop teasing your sister," said Mrs. Hannah Perelman. Or should I call her Mom? She just got down from the second floor.

"Oh well."

"Princess, do you want something to eat? I will tell our chef, so they can prepare you something to eat. " Mr. Perelman's face was filled with concern.

At that moment, I felt delighted. The thought of having this kind of family is kind of happy. I am happy to the point that I smile bitterly.

Like the girl in the story, I also once dreamt. I never dreamed of wishing that I would lose my ability to see death. I also did not wish I could be normal. Because then, what I dreamed of was having a complete and happy family, which I know is very impossible.

But like the girl in the book who wanted to be a ballerina even though she did not know how to dance, well, like her, I am also still pursuing my impossible dream.

"No, thanks dad, I will just take a rest. I'm kind of dizzy. " I said, then glanced at Albus.

"You should rest too, babe. Let's just see each other tomorrow. Good night. " After that, I let Hazel guide me upstairs and show me where Hailey's room is, or should I say, my room.

I M _ V E N A